Two slices bacon, diced
Two scallions, diced
One egg
One tablespoon chili-garlic paste
One portion noodles, cooked per package directions
One tablespoon oyster sauce
Hot sauce

Fry bacon. Remove from pan and set aside.
Fry scallions in bacon fat. Remove from pan and set aside.
Fry egg in bacon fat. Remove from pan and set aside.
Fry chili-garlic paste in remaining bacon fat.
Add noodles to chili-garlic paste and toss.
Add bacon and scallions to noodles and toss.
Add oyster sauce to noodles and toss.
Serve noodles.
Top with egg.
Garnish with hot sauce.

I ordinarily get the sauce simmering and then make the meatballs and drop them directly into the sauce.

Sauce:
Two tablespoons-ish vegetable oil
One small onion, finely chopped
One tablespoon-ish ginger, minced
One garlic clove, minced
One heaping teaspoon turmeric
One 28oz can tomatoes (whole, diced, pureed or sauce, as you like)

Saute the onions and ginger in the oil until onions are soft. (I use high heat and lots of stirring and aim to get the onions slightly golden, but that’s not critical.)
Add the garlic and saute until you can smell it (just a few seconds usually).
Add the turmeric.
Add the tomatoes.
Bring to a simmer.

Meatballs:
One pound ground lamb
Two or three cloves garlic, minced
One teaspoon crushed hot pepper flakes, or to taste
One heaping teaspoon garam masala
One teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 cup (or so) yogurt

Mix ingredients with your hands.
Form into small meatballs.
Drop into simmering sauce.
Simmer for fifteen minutes or so.
Stir in the yogurt before serving.

The following quantities and timings are extremely flexible.

• One or two meaty lamb shanks or a pound or so of cut-up lamb (I tend to scrimp on the lamb.)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes (I used a can labeled “chunky tomato sauce.”)
• 1 tomato-canful of water, lamb stock or chicken stock (I used water.)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 bunch kale, sliced into ribbons.
• two stalks of celery, diced
• two big carrots, diced
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 heaping teaspoon ras el hanout
• Salt to taste

1. Put the lamb, onion, garlic, tomatoes, water and spices in a big pot.
2. Bring everything to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer.
3. Simmer for 90 minutes.
4. Remove the lamb meat from the bones and shred into bite-size pieces. Put meat back into pot.
5. Add vegetables and simmer for an additional 45 minutes or until you’re happy with their doneness.
6. Add ras el hanout and salt to taste.

Serve over couscous or bulgur (bulgur is inauthentic but I like it better than couscous).
Garnish with chopped cilantro, harissa and yogurt.

_{Image CC-BY-NC by boo_licious}